Harold Kummer, Hometown Hero Dedicated to Service

08/24/2012 08:23 AM

08/26/2012 10:32 AM

Harold Kummer, Hometown Hero Dedicated to Service

08/26/2012 10:32 AM

<font style="FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: 12px"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: 13px"><font style="FONT-FAMILY: ; FONT-SIZE: 14px"><font size=2>Drafted right&nbsp;out of high school, Harold Kummer dedicated his life to his country by serving as a Heavy Mortar Crewman in World War II.</font><br><br></font></font></font>

MANITOWOC, Wisc. (WFRV) Drafted right out of high school, Harold Kummer dedicated his life to his country by serving as a Heavy Mortar Crewman in World War II.

"We had 30 caliber water cool machine guns and 81 millimeter mortar," Harold recalls of his service in Luzon, the main island in the Philippines. "The Japanese were retreating but then they would put up resistance, then they'd retreat, put up resistance, then you got into fire."

The carnage he witnessed over 68 years ago is still fresh in his mind.

"I seen Japs that blew the tops of their heads off with grenades."

"We took a lot of prisoners when the war ended. A lot of them, they just wouldn't surrender. A lot of them committed hari-kari.'

Harold's service to his country did not end with the war. To this day, he continues helping those in his community. Harold visits shut-ins, is an active volunteer in his church, always lends a helping hand to his neighbors.

"I found out when you volunteer, you don't have to worry about layoffs or getting fired. And if you get fired from volunteering, you ain't doing too much."

Harold is also the Captain of the VFW Honor Guard, serving on the firing squad at military funerals.

"Every Veteran should be entitled to a military funeral. I think it's the last thing you can do for them for serving their country."

Because of Harold's dedication to his country and community, he has been chosen as this week's Hometown Hero.

Local 5's Wendy Fleury sat down with Harold and brings us more of his story.